Just received 4 pages catalogue in letter box and saw that Canon EOS 1100DKB DSLR Camera Single Lens Kit for $398 at HN (Nationwide This Time unlike a few handful HN stores in the past). the cheapest entry DSLR at the moment so wanna share this deal with my fellow ozbargainers. have a good day all.

A 12.1 megapixel Canon developed CMOS sensor and DiG!C 4 Image Processor combine to deliver high image quality for first time DSLR users. LiveView enables the photographer to preview images in real time and enhances High Definition recording. The EOS 1100D will take first time DSLR users to the next level of photography.
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I saw this in HN on Friday (I wasn't registered here so I couldn't share it).

There were 3 deals:
This one for $398
This plus flash (rrp $229) for $598
This camera with a double lens for $898

I bought the basic one & the salesman very halfheartedly tried to sell me a bag!

Ignore everybody who whinges about this deal - this is a damn good camera at a ridiculous price. Probably not the camera a professional photographer would buy but more than adequate for any amateur (except the ones that are up themselves).
If you're worried about artistic shots (even though the art is in the shot not in the camera)- just take it on RAW quality setting & edit it later.

Agreed. I hate it when people complain that some people should not own a SLR just for the sake because they are not 'photographers' some people like to take photos as hobbies, occasions, for traveling and etc. I don't see how it should limit to 'professional photographers' to be honest, 'professionals' is bullocks.

Yep, just a normal lens. Bought the same at this price before before Xmas. Although this is entry level DSLR, I would never go back to a point and shoot. The quality and consistency of the photos, particularly inside family/pet shots is fantastic.

Basically it comes with the 18-55 mm, this is a zoom lens which is pretty good for portraits/landscape. If you're into shooting animals etc. or taking shots from a distance, consider getting the twin kit lens, which includes the much larger 55-250 mm zoom lens as well.

Good question Stella. I know that with most electronics where something is referred to as a kit it means you have to assemble it yourself. However for some reason the SLR camera manufacturers have chosen the word 'kit' to refer to the lenses they make to be sold as a 'bundle' with an SLR camera 'body'. Although 'SLR' means 'single lens reflex' in this instance the use of single just means 'one unit' - because sometimes the 'kits' have two different lenses bundled.

So this deal comes with one kit lens - which is a lens which can be zoomed in and out between 18mm and 55mm.

Sometimes these 'kit lenses' are also sold as 'white-box lenses' - in that the maufacturer dispatches them from the factory bundled with the camera body in a fancy printed box but then the retailer sells the body to a buyer who doesn't want the low-quality cheap kit lens - and so the reatiler is left with just the lens to sell in the plain white cardboard box in which it was packed next to the camera body. (Note that, whereas most lens-only purchases carry international manufacturer warranties, kit lenses or white-box lenses usually come with a manufacturer warraty that is not international.)

There is a school of thought among amatuer SLR photography enthusiasts that reasons that the low-end lenses are not worth owning. The argument goes that when you choose to buy an SLR you are deciding you want a camera which is consistently capable of taking 4 to 5 star photos. These days any modern SLR camera from major manufacturers will fit this bill. (Paying more for a higher end body gives significant improvement in durability, build quality, rust-resistance and weather seals, more or more-easily accessed controls, better low light capabilty, et al.).

However these 'kit lenses' in most circumstances will only provide 3 star quality photos - so any time you put one on your camera you lower the probability that your result will be within the 4 to 5 star quality range that you have decided you would like to try to attain when you decided to upgrade from a 'point and shoot' compact camera to an SLR. Best way to not compromise SLR quality is to not even own a kit lens.

Note that this a divisive topic - that's why I have tried to choose my words carefully in describing the thinking. The idea wil be hotly contested by those of the opposite school of thought - especially here on a great bargain website. So you could expect lots of votes both ways on this comment.

I hope you get a good SLR buy and get lots of enjoyment from it. I only bought mine 12 months ago (no kit lens) and I'm loving exploring what it can do. It seems that reasonable lenses are the most expensive part!

Wow that's really cheap and dpreview.com said it was a solid entry level DSLR. I'm seriously tempted. Strangely the online catalogue lists it at $398, but the product page is still at $568, I guess someone forgot to update that.

Edit: here's the review article, it was easier to find via Wikipedia, since searching for eos 1100d review just gets lots of online retailers.

It does not come with IS lens. However, this is a steal for someone stepping into DSLR category. It is even cheaper than grey import. Deal has been on for few HN stores from few months back, nevertheless it is officially on nationwide this time. Bravo HN, helping people arm with a nice gear.

Wow this is fantastic for anyone considering a jump into DSLR photography.
Just grab a 8-16gb class 6-10 SD card and you're set for shooting video as well!

If you really want to round out your kit you'll need a decent tripod (manfrotto/slik tripods are well rated for their budget models), and a few other lenses (50mm f/1.8 prime lens = $100 new; maaaaaaaaybe a 55-250mm f/4 IS if you need tele).

Beginners should ignore all the snark and bourgeois comments about the 1100D being an entry level camera or how the kit lens compares poorly versus the 17-55 f/2 (that sells for $1000).

Guys… He was referring to a 50mm lens (fixed at 50mm). As far as I know, majority of 50mm lenses (if not all) do not have IS/VR - They are quite small and putting IS/VR mechanism in them would make them too big perhaps. 50mm prime lenses are quite popular (as they generally offer very good low light performance), easy to carry around and quite cheap.

A 50mm lens (no zoom) is not the same as the kit lens (which is a zoom lens).

Back to the kit lens included in this package… It would be good to have IS, but considering the price tag, Canon would not include an IS lens. The main issue with the included lens is actually not the lack of IS, but the slower than average auto focus speed. My friend was thinking about getting one, but when he tried it, he complained that it took too long to take a shot (the camera took to long to get the auto focus done - it is more of the poor quality of the lens), but at this price, the lens is kinda a free throw in….

Hmm, you're right about the autofocus speed of the bundled lens. Page 9 of the review:

Having said that, focus speed does to a large degree depend on the attached lens and the bundled 18-55mm kit lens is noticeably slower than Canon's much more expensive USM lenses with their ultrasonic focus motors.

My wife loves it, I bought her it the last time it was $398. The lady who sold it to me at that price really tried hard to sell me extra's, they were very expensive so I said no no no to all of them and you should too.

If money is not an issue, get a 550D. It is much better than 1100D for sure. 550D is often referred to as a baby 7D. The image quality is pretty much as same as 7D. It has 1080p video (like the 7D)… obviously, it does not have dual CPUs like the 7D (so it cannot compare to 7D in terms of auto focus and continous shot speed).

Also, Magic Latern (custom firmware - very good) is developed on 550D. Twin lens kit - depends… Both of the two lens in the twin lens kit are rather average. I am not a big fan of twin lens kit.

You can buy the Rebel T2i, which is essentially the same camera cheaper from some importers. I use the 550D myself and the twin kit isn't too bad for the price and they are the cheapest zoom lenses you will get. Unless you're really really serious about photography, it's more than adequate. Quality zoom lenses will cost you more than the camera body + twin kit lenses combined.

If you are stepping away from compact and into the world of DSLR, then get the twin lens kit. The 55-250mm lens is great for your kid's athletics carnivals, school concerts and assemblies, at the zoo, beach etc etc. The quality is fine for the average joe.

What is it with this trend of posting three page descriptions? Yes, it's a nice camera at a very good price. You don't need all of that description on this page though - people who're interested can click the link and see for themselves.

again…grey stock vs Aussie stock, if you don't mind getting grey stock, not a good deal but some people swear by aussie stock which means the next cheapest is ~$700, which is a big difference and most beginners would do better to get a nifty fifty or any other zoom lenses under $200